YEP Letters December 11

I was very pleased to see that Coun Andrew Carter is of the same opinion as the rest of the local population of the Farsley and Stanningley that the cycle track has caused a major problem in our area.

Reducing the width of the road has caused vehicles behind buses to stop, engines running and having to accelerate to move again from a standing start, how’s that for pollution?

This is occurring hundreds of times per day, from Bramley Town End through Stanningley to Dawsons Corner.

The council should be ashamed to have allowed this to happen in the first place, now they are blaming us for the pollution. Can’t they see the problems they have caused?

The council should monitor the usage of this track because I and many others very rarely see any cyclists on it.

Government must address rail failures

Henri Murison, Director, Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

THe damning report from the Transport Select Committee reflects the misery and chaos suffered by rail passengers in the Northern Powerhouse this year; chaos that is far from over.

Operator Northern ran a completely unacceptable service during the height of the crisis, and although they moved swiftly to improve the situation, significant issues with delays and cancellations still persist.

But TransPennine Express are a franchise in failure and there is a strong case for robust action. This action should be by Northern leaders, as they should control the franchises in the North, but the Government has refused to allow that to happen – therefore it is on them to address trans-Pennine services.

At Manchester Airport, the performance of TransPennine Express services has dropped by around 30 per cent when compared to last year and, in the worst case, one in every four trains to the airport has been cancelled. This is having a significant impact on people in all parts of the North being able to access its primary international gateway and on the region’s reputation with overseas visitors and investors.

Whether it be families going on holiday, commuters or bemused business travellers, we have watched in dismay as people are thrown off trains before their end destination, often at short notice, as they carry heavy bags and are worried about missing their flights.

It is deplorable and the Government must intervene to ensure it does not continue. The evidence to the Committee from Transport Focus makes it clear TransPennine Express has evaded the limelight during the fiasco during the summer – now they must be held to account.

The call to keep fare rises for the coming year to a minimum, with a discount for those renewing their season tickets in 2019 to mean no price increase, is a sensible suggestion by the Transport Select Committee.

We are disappointed at the lack of focus on the opportunities to improve the way railways are run in the North using our devolved institution of Transport for the North, including the need for Rail North to come with equivalent infrastructure oversight powers, which is why the forthcoming Blake Review is of such importance.

It will address the concerns of many businesses and passengers who, as our Devolving our Railways report has shown, paid the price for what was allowed to happen in the summer.

Attitudes must change towards disabilities

Mrs S M Abbott, Wakefield

Thank you to Hannah Cockroft for highlighting the problems faced by many people with disabilities every day. Sadly I think that unless people are themselves affected, the problem doesn’t concern them as my husband and I have come to realise since he became a wheelchair user a few years ago.

We have had problems with hotels such as ramps up to the front door and then steps, a shower over a bath in an adapted room and a lift too small for a wheelchair.

Try going through a manual door when no one offers to help – or using toilet facilities with no raised seats.

We’ve also experienced quite recently verbal abuse on a return flight from Dusseldorf when we had to change seats and two middle-aged men then verbally abused us for taking their seats.

Believe me, it was not our choice as we were separated from our family and seats with more room near the exit doors, so they actually ended up with better seats!

I feel that I need to do a “dummy run” before we go anywhere. As for shopping, my husband won’t venture out onto the High Street any more.

Unfortunately I don’t think anything will change unless attitudes do and people have a bit more compassion for others.

Let us know what you think

THE Yorkshire Evening Post wants you to share your views with other readers.

Please email your letters to yep.newsdesk@ypn.co.uk.

Please keep letters under 300 words.

Trending

The nine long-gone Leeds nightclubs we haven't forgotten

Wanted: 25 people police urgently want to speak to in Leeds

The never seen before photos of Leeds through the ages

Dirty Leeds United? Here's where they rank in the Championship fair play table